Desk hinge



Feb. 10, 1931. c, E; EV 1,791,690

nasx HINGE Original Filed Feb. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 74 m X X M 4 4 Feb. 10, 1931.- c. E. STEVENS DESK HINGE Original Filed Feb- 14. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 in v e n'Coi:

p -30 desk;

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES CLARENCE Ji -STEVENS, or CLEVELAND, oHro, AssIeNoR 'ro wHIrEsEwIuG MAoHInEf oonronar on, or-oLEvELAND, QHIO, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

' DESK HINGE:

' A plication-filedrebruar n;1927.5eria1 No;'167,881.- Renewedltiay 13, 1930.

This invention relates to desks and has particular-reference to school desks of the typeliaving a'hinged top or lid which is adapted to beswung upward about an axis at the rear edge of the top to open the desk- The principal object of the present inven-' tion is to providea simple, durable, inexpensive and efiicientfriction device to'friotionaly resist the downward movement of the top so 19 as to prevent likelihood of injury to the fingers or hand ofthe occupant as might be the case if the top were free to swing .down unrestrained. l

' The aboveobject is attained very effectively by a friction device which acts upon an extension of one of the hinges so disposed as to provide a uniform frictional resistance to the movement of the top in all positions there of between its normal lowered position and.

the extreme back position. y

The invention may be briefly summarized as consistingin certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the speci- .25 fication and set forth in the appended claims. In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the Fig. 2 is an end View of the desk omitting the supporting means which is usually at tached to the desk body;

'Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewsubstantially along theline 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated fbythearrows; v V s Fig. 1 is a sectional view substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction giQ indicated by the arrows; I

Fig. 5 is a perspective'view of a portion of the desk showing the top swung back to its rearmost position.

' F ig. 6 and Fig. 7 are respectively a side view and an end viewof one of the hinges.

Fig. 8 and Fig. '9 arerespectively a side view and a bottom view of a friction member in the form of "a bowed sprlng which is frictionally engaged by anextension of the v hinge. i Y

Referring now to the drawings, '10 represents the body ofthe desk which is generally formed of sheet metalbut may be formed of any suitable material. At the top of'the desk is an upper stationary ledge 11 which also maybe formed of sheet metal-or other suitable material, this being the part which and like parts. Additionally,the-desk'in,

is normally in the position shown in'f'Fi'g. 2

P .0 F1 E .is designed to support the ink well, pencils but is designed to'beswung upwardly back. f

beyond the vertical position to, give access of theinteriorof the desk in themanner indicated in Fig. 5.] The top 12:1is generally formed of wood but, of course the particular material employed is not at all essentialto the g Y invention.

The top 12 is the forward edge of the ledge .llJand for this purpose two hinges, such as indicatedat shown but both will beJsim-ilarly constructed hinged at its upperedge to. 91E

- 18, are employed. Only'oneof the'hinges is and mounted, each having a main or body portion 13 adapted to .be' secured tothe under side of the top portionof the lid; 12'

withan extension13 efor connection with the l forward edge of the ledgell, and each hav-- ing acurved extension 13 which proje'cts through a slot 10* in the inwardly extending flange 10 -formed on the :end of thebody 10 ofthe desk. -..At-' the free endof theourvedv extension 13. i sa hook-13 which-isadapted to 1 engagethelower side ofthefiange 10 'in the 'manner indicated in Fig. 5 tolimit the rearward swinging movement of thetop or cover. 12.

Comingnowtothe part more directly'in volving my inventionI form on one of the 'end walls or" the desk body 10 apocket'by extension 13 ofthe hinge extends. down into. this pocket andit will be apparent that when thetop12is raisedorflowered'this extension has an. arcuate swinging movement between the walls of'the pocket 3 For the purpose of frictionally I H m nto th t p .9 l2 -p -ce in th resistingthieg pocket formed by the stamping 14 and the end of thedesk body a curved and bowed spring member 15 having a more or less fiat face indicated at 15 which is engaged by the extension 13 of the hinge and having offset end portions l'5 and also a laterally "bent tongue 15 which bear against the end of the desk body to give the spring stability. The curvature of the spring corresponds substantially to the curvature Qof the hinge extension.

13 and of the lower' part of the stamping 14:

and the spring is, therefore, held in place at the bottom of the pocket at all times in position to press yieldingly against the side of the hinge extension 13.

The engagement between'this spring and the hinge extension is such as to give just the requisite frictional resistance to the move ment of the lid or top to keep it from falling by gravity if released in any position. A

further feature of importance is the factthat the frictional-device is inexpensive to constr'uctand to applyto the desk and it has an indefinite life, there being nothing to get outoforder.

While both hinges areconstructed alike as already explained and while this frictional device may be employed in conjunction with both hingesI findthat' satisfactory results are obtained by the application of a movement resisting spring of the character stated 1 on the inner side of one of the end Wallsonly of the desk body so as to frictionally engage the extension on one of the hinges.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim' isr Y f 1. Incombination with a fixed element having an opening-therein and a swinging closure therefor, hinge members for said closure pivotally supported upon said fixed 7 element, one of-sa'id hinge members having an"extension projecting. ;into said opening along theadj acent end thereof, and a resilient sheet metal friction member arranged between said extension and the associated end wallio'f saidopening and adaptedto provide an increasingly greater contact area as said closure'approach-e's' closed position, said end wall acting. as a backing for theiriction member." '1 ii '2. In'coinbination with-a fixed element having an opening therein and a swinging closure therefor, hinge" members attached to said closure and pivotally connected tosaid fixed element, one of said hinge members having 3 an extension adapted to' swing within the opening alongside the adjacent end wall thereof, a pocket formed on the inner side of saidwall, a loose friction member seated in said pocket and engaged on one side by aside Wallof the pocket and on the other by the extension of theassociated hinge,; the amount of contactmg-surface between said extension andvfr'ic'tion member increasing as said closure app'roaches:'closed position;'

3. A desk hinge construction comprising a hinge member adapted to be secured to the lid of a desk and having an arcuate extension arm adapted to swing along the inner side of a hingemember adapted to be secured to the lid of a desk, and having an arcuate extension arm adapted to swing along the inner side of the end wall of the desk, a casing adapted to be secured to said end wall to form a pocket, and an arcuate spring loosely mounted with-- insaid pocket adapted to have a backing against one side of the pocket and to-frictionally engage said extension :arm.

signature.

In testimonywhereof, I hereunto my CLARENCE STEVENS;

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